{"id":3376,"date":"2022-09-28T08:49:45","date_gmt":"2022-09-28T03:19:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.myhealthvectors.com\/?p=3376"},"modified":"2025-03-21T17:11:01","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T11:41:01","slug":"what-happens-when-you-binge-watch-tv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/what-happens-when-you-binge-watch-tv\/","title":{"rendered":"What happens when you binge watch TV"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Image credit: Total Shape<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Streaming platforms are changing the way we watch television. Binge watching can have a negative impact on your health. Before you curl up for your next binge-watching session, here are a few health considerations you should know.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Physical inactivity <\/strong>
One of the big challenges posed by COVID-19 is that people who shelter-in-place are\u00a0consuming more entertainment both during\u00a0the day and into the wee late-evening and\u00a0early-morning hours.\u00a0
A study reported\u00a0a comparison between\u00a0active sitting, such as working at a computer\u00a0at a desk, and nonactive sitting like watching\u00a0television. Non-active sitting, as the\u00a0researchers suggest, might be linked to up to\u00a0a 25% higher body mass index and body fat\u00a0in younger adults.
https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/17\/8\/2643<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"A<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

An unhealthy diet <\/strong>
Snacking while bingeing can create an\u00a0imbalanced calories in\u2013calories out ratio
A published data showed a strong link\u00a0between television viewing and habitual\u00a0eating, regardless of hunger level. This is\u00a0in part due to \"distraction eating,\" which\u00a0is associated with more food intake and\u00a0being overweight.
https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ajcn\/article\/111\/5\/950\/5799140<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Social isolation <\/strong>
Binge-watching is more likely to isolate you\u00a0from your family and friends than you\u00a0realize. Since it is addictive, you are\u00a0more\u00a0likely\u00a0to forego the chance to socialize\u00a0in person in your free time.
\u00a0Also, binge-watching without limits can\u00a0lead to long-term consequences.
\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"A<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It interferes with sleep patterns <\/strong>
Binge-watching is essentially a non-stop\u00a0engagement, and since you might not be able to\u00a0do it while\u00a0you are\u00a0at work,\u00a0it is\u00a0highly likely that\u00a0you will\u00a0do it through the night.
\u00a0It may start with the resolution to watch just\u00a0one episode, but if\u00a0you are\u00a0addicted to it, you\u00a0may get excited about the next episode or\u00a0season, giving up on sleep rather than giving up\u00a0on watching the latest series\u00a0you\u2019re\u00a0obsessed\u00a0with.
https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/blog\/sleep-newzzz\/201801\/binge-watching-and-its-effects-your-sleep<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It's like being on drugs <\/strong>
The moment you stop binge-watching, you\u00a0feel a low and only a fresh episode can satiate\u00a0that hollow feeling.\u00a0
Your brain produces a chemical called\u00a0dopamine whenever you engage in an activity\u00a0you love. This chemical makes you feel good\u00a0and happy by inducing a \"high\" that many\u00a0drugs do too.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"Blue<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It may lead to weight gain <\/strong>
The moment you stop binge-watching, you\u00a0feel a low and only a fresh episode can satiate\u00a0that hollow feeling.\u00a0
Your brain produces dopamine whenever you\u00a0engage in an activity you love. This chemical\u00a0makes you feel good and happy by inducing a\u00a0\"high\" that many drugs do too.
https:\/\/www.hsph.harvard.edu\/news\/hsph-in-the-news\/binge-watching-tv-not-good-for-waistline\/<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Induces stress, anxiety & depression <\/strong>
Feeling anxious about what's going on in your\u00a0favorite show can lead to depression. Not\u00a0being able to watch the next episode can\u00a0cause stress and anxiety.\u00a0
There's a fancy term for this condition: 'show\u00a0hole', where finishing a series makes you feel\u00a0empty.\u00a0
Needless to say, these feelings of stress and\u00a0anxiety, when coupled with the addictive and\u00a0isolating nature of binge-watching, can lead\u00a0to depression.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Blood clots <\/strong>
In a 2018 study researchers found\u00a0prolonged sitting for binge-watching is\u00a0similar to prolonged sedentary behavior for\u00a0long flights or during illness\u2014it can\u00a0increase the risk for deep-vein thrombosis\u00a0(DVT) by up to 70%. And that risk remains\u00a0even if a person is not overweight and still\u00a0being physically active.
https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007%2Fs11239-018-1620-7<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"A<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Cognitive decline <\/strong>
Study suggests binge-watching could lead\u00a0to cognitive decline down the road.
\u00a0Instead of spending hours watching TV,\u00a0people should engage themselves in\u00a0mind-building activities.\u00a0
These include reading, puzzles, games, and physical exercise, according to researchers at Queen's University, Belfast.
https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-019-39354-4<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How To Break the Habit? <\/strong>
The best way to reduce the effects of\u00a0binge-watching is to make television\u00a0(even binge watching on your\u00a0phone)\u00a0watching an occasional pleasure\u00a0and not an everyday thing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"Two<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How To Break the Habit? <\/strong>
Limiting yourself:\u00a0<\/strong>You may want to watch a\u00a0small number of episodes, i.e., two\u00a0episodes of a show at a time. Once you\u00a0have reached your limit, turn the TV off and\u00a0find something else to do.
Setting a time limit:<\/strong>\u00a0Decide on an\u00a0appropriate amount of time you will watch\u00a0television every night. Then set an alarm or\u00a0timer to keep yourself stay on course.
Finding a balance:\u00a0<\/strong>Balance your TV-watching with other activities, including\u00a0exercise, reading, a hobby, or spending\u00a0time with a friend.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How To Break the Habit? <\/strong>
Making TV watching a social thing<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/strong>If you invite\u00a0someone else to watch with you, you likely won\u2019t\u00a0spend as much time watching and you won\u2019t get\u00a0sucked into hours of streaming.\u00a0
Making sure you have a bedtime<\/strong>: Binge-watching\u00a0can cause you to sacrifice hours of sleep, which\u00a0can affect you the next day and harm you in the\u00a0long-term. It might help to set a bedtime alarm,\u00a0so you don\u2019t lose track of time watching\u00a0television.
Deciding to snack healthy<\/strong>: Rather than eating\u00a0unhealthy snacks while watching TV, opt for\u00a0snacks that have more nutritional value. Fruits\u00a0and vegetables are healthier options over salty,\u00a0fatty foods.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Image credit: Total Shape Streaming platforms are changing the way we watch television. Binge watching can have a negative impact on your health. Before you curl up for your next binge-watching session, here are a few health considerations you should know. Physical inactivity One of the big challenges posed by COVID-19 is that people who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":4860,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3376","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3376"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6469,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3376\/revisions\/6469"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}